


noah's ark

by civillove



Series: seblaine prompts from tumblr [78]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23987959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civillove/pseuds/civillove
Summary: request from anon on tumblr who basically wanted blaine working at a volunteer animal shelter and not being able to stop bringing stray animals home--Sebastian watches from the doorframe, leaning against the paneled wood, “You’re turning our loft into Noah’s ark.”
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Series: seblaine prompts from tumblr [78]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/82780
Comments: 10
Kudos: 60





	noah's ark

**Author's Note:**

> blaine is me and i am blaine when it comes to a love of animals, thanks for coming to my ted talk

It happens entirely on accident, or at least, that’s what Blaine tells himself.

Ever since he was young, he can remember being totally obsessed with animals—it didn’t matter whether it was a cat, a dog, a stray bird, lizard, snake, or rat. He found value in every living thing, found something sweet he could identify with in any furry or scale covered being. While Cooper didn’t want to help a bird that fell from a nest (only if he begged him), or a garden snake that got caught under a planter, or a lost dog that was probably a neighbor’s down the street—Blaine always jumped at the chance.

His mother told him he should be a vet one day but it clashed terribly with his ideas of singing on Broadway. Also, while he considered himself pretty good in biology and other sciences, he never thought he was smart enough to carry all the way through veterinary school.

He finds his middle though, after being in New York for a few years with his boyfriend, Sebastian. They get a place that’s a decent size for a loft in Manhattan, thanks partly to his Broadway breaks and Sebastian putting in long hours on cases as a lawyer. Blaine doesn’t think the work makes his boyfriend particularly happy but, what does he know? He groveled at so many theaters to take him in that he worked backstage and even sat patrons for a long time before he caught a break.

They saved money, they scrounged, they worked hard—so Blaine wakes up in their loft every day with a new-found sense of gratitude, turning in bed and pressing his face into Sebastian’s neck for an extra five minutes of sleep. When he’s not working at the theater or a new project, he volunteers at a local animal shelter that’s ten minutes away from their place. It’s a nice walk on days when the sun is out and only a short subway ride when the weather is undesirable; he’s been caught in too many rainstorms to count.

Sebastian sometimes worries he’s stretching himself thin but he makes sure to take well-needed breaks in-between volunteering and working at the theater. It’s just, he doesn’t know _how_ to walk away from that place once he gains a strong foothold. He works with a lot of other nice volunteers who care about animals just as much as he does and it sounds odd to say it out loud but the animals he takes care of…they expect him to show up, he can’t just abandon them. He’s probably giving a lot more credit to Perry the parrot and Glitter the disgruntled ancient Tabby but sue him, he’s always been able to recognize animal’s souls just as easily as a person’s. Most of the time even easier.

He comes home from the animal shelter feeling like he’s made a difference and there’s no feeling in the world that can really replace that; being able to help out, to care about animals that have been swept aside or abandoned. Sebastian kisses his forehead almost always after he talks about his day, and really, he can tell his boyfriend can sense that it means a lot to him even though he’s protective about Blaine getting too involved.

Which, he supposes he understands because after that one instant last month, Sebastian made him stay home for a few weeks to emotionally recuperate.

_Blaine doesn’t realize that the front door slams shut until after it happens and looks over his shoulder at the splintering sound that seems to echo against his ear drums. Sebastian instantly comes out of the living room to meet him in the small hallway, pausing when he sees him—because he knows. He knows with just one look at him._

_He shakes his head as the taller approaches him, setting his bag down and taking his jacket off to hang up near the closet door. He kicks his shoes away, all of his movements seeming to feel like slow motion as he runs a hand through messy curls._

_“Talk to me,” Sebastian says, one hand settling on his back._

_Blaine wants to shrug it off and just go to bed but he knows he won’t be able to escape Sebastian’s line of questioning and prying so easily. This must be how he feels when Blaine attempts to do the same thing whenever his boyfriend is upset. The thing about their relationship is that they’re so different—Blaine almost always has his heart on his sleeve, it’s easy for anyone to figure out how he’s feeling with a few long looks at his face. Sebastian, however, is a completely different story. He has a set of masks that he puts it place over his actual expressions; it’s hard to figure out how he feels without actually knowing him._

_It took Blaine a long time to work that out, to know how he feels and when he feels it. It’s like playing a game of opposites, taking Sebastian’s emotions underneath a microscope. He has to suss out when he’s frustrated compared to angry which is completely different to when he’s utterly crushed. He’s managed to destroy most of those masks but sometimes he’s helpless to having them slip into place._

_Blaine’s never wearing a mask, not around Sebastian._

_Instead of responding to Sebastian’s statement, his face seems to scrunch up at the soothing tone of his voice. He just turns into his chest, a hiccupping sob leaving his throat as he clings to Sebastian’s sides. The taller reaches down, wrapping his arms around his back and waist to hold him as close as he can manage._

_Sebastian knows better than to ask anything else, hands rubbing up and down his back and soothing through his curls as he cries. Sometimes he just needs to get it out, to wail and take struggled breaths into his lungs as tears stain his boyfriend’s shirt._

_“Shh,” Sebastian whispers, massaging the back of his shoulders and neck, “You’re alright, take a few breaths.”_

_Blaine attempts to do so, fingers strangling the shirt in his grasp as the taller hums in comforting acknowledgement. Sebastian presses a few kisses to his temple, only pulling back when Blaine is ready. He gently grabs onto his wrist and pulls him into the living room, sitting in the corner of the couch as the shorter sits next to him._

_He didn’t mean to let his emotions get the better of him but he knows himself, they tend to come in waves, completely overwhelming him. He sniffles, wiping over his cheeks that he knows are red splotched and wet despite how tenderly Sebastian is looking at him. His one hand travels over Blaine’s jawline, tipping his chin until his hazel eyes match green ones. Incredibly patient and warm—not many people know this version of Sebastian._

_“What happened?”_

_Blaine shakes his head, looking down at his hands as he plays with a loose string on his shirt, “Gypsy, one of the black labs we had, got hit by a car. Some volunteers took her out for a walk and she—she got loose from the leash.” He bites down hard on his wobbling lower lip and can’t say any more._

_Sebastian doesn’t need him to, sighing gently and motions for Blaine to crawl onto his lap. The shorter moves, fitting like a missing puzzle piece against his chest and a blanket is pulled down and wrapped around his shaking frame._

_“I told you I thought this was a bad idea,” Sebastian mumbles against his hairline. He’s not angry, exactly, but he’s hurting because_ Blaine _is hurting. “I told you that you were going to come home one of these days like this.”_

_He sniffles and closes his eyes, a few loose tears rolling down his cheeks. Blaine doesn’t know what he expects him to say? He’s always been like this; heavily tied to his emotions, invested past the point that he probably should be but…that’s what he loves about him, right?_

_“I can’t help it.” He whispers, titling his chin so that his nose presses into the skin of Sebastian’s neck. The taller shivers and gathers him closer, if that’s even possible, and dips his head down so his lips brush along the bridge of his nose._

_“I know,” He can sense him rolling his eyes, “’Broke too many hearts to stay’ even though it’s_ yours _this time.”_

_Blaine looks up at him, bright hazel eyes a liquid honey color because he’s upset. He presses a kiss to Sebastian’s jaw, to soothe him, and the taller shakes his head before joining their lips in a proper, soft kiss._

_“You’re taking a break,” Sebastian tells him after, wrapping him closer, “And we’re not gonna argue you about it because you’ll lose.”_

_“First time for everything.” Blaine mumbles and the taller smirks, tickling his side best he can reach before kissing him again._

But now he’s back at it and honestly, he’s doing a lot better. Sebastian’s right in a way; he can’t get too emotionally involved with every animal he takes care of even though it’s his knee-jerk reaction to do so. He can love them and give them anything they might need within his volunteering abilities, but he can’t be brought to his knees every time something bad happens. He’ll burn himself out and even worse, Sebastian might make him quit for real if he comes home in tears again.

He doesn’t…exactly mean to compensate like this but it happens so gradually that he doesn’t notice it at first.

He nurses a duckling back to health in their bathroom and he names it Peter and he knows that the moment he gives something a name that it’s downhill from there. Sebastian says nothing when the duckling starts following Blaine around the loft and sleeping on his pillow at night.

He then brings two kittens home, siblings that need bottle fed every four hours; he calls them Binx and Bat and the only reason he can tell them apart is because Binx has a white spot on her neck. Sebastian says nothing when he doesn’t take the kittens back to the shelter, even after they’re more than well enough to eat on their own.

Then it’s an older cat, a gray tubby thing that seems to have short legs and a diabetes problem. Blaine gives her insulin when she needs it and names her Kai, giving her extra attention when she settles on his lap when they’re watching TV after Sebastian’s gotten home. His boyfriend says nothing even when Kai makes him sneeze—seeming to stir up his allergies compared to the two kittens. He groans and takes extra tablets to sleep and eventually he gets used to the dander but there’s a long few weeks where Blaine doesn’t know whether he wants to murder _him_ or the cat.

A dog eventually joins them, a nippy Pomeranian named Daisy. She needs to learn _not_ to nip and so Blaine decides to feed her by hand and for a long time he seems to be the only one she tolerates. He tries not to laugh too hard when she chases after Sebastian when he gets out of the shower, only in his towel, all the way into the bedroom and he has to close the door to keep her away. She eventually warms up to him, after peeing in his slippers and chewing the collar of one of his sweatshirts. And yet, Sebastian says nothing—kisses his temple at night and drags him against the kitchen counter in order to get his hands into his pants.

It’s not like their loft isn’t big enough to accommodate everyone, it is, they have extra rooms and space for any animal Blaine might bring home. But out of all things for Sebastian to turn his nose up at, it’s him bringing in a ferret that he’s named Snowflake.

“No,” Sebastian puts his hand up as Blaine steps over the threshold with Snowflake in a cage next to him.

The shorter scrunches his nose and pets Daisy who runs up to greet him, closing the front door with his foot, “That’s not how we greet a new family member.”

“That’s how we greet ferrets who are visiting.”

“His name is Snowflake.” He takes off his coat and puts it on the rack, grinning when Binx comes trotting over. She trills by way of hello to Blaine before she pokes her nose inside the cage, curious about the new member of the house.

“I don’t care if his name is Barack Obama, we’re not keeping a ferret.” He puts his hands on his hips, raising his eyebrows at Blaine when he doesn’t back down.

Instead he picks up the cage and takes a step forward, “I’m just going to put him in the spare room for now. He’s sickly.”

Sebastian lets out a patient breath but lets Blaine walk past him, following him down the hall to a room that holds a few yoga mats and odds and ends workout gear. He sets Snowflake in the corner and grabs two towels to put into the cage, scratching the top of his head with his pointer finger.

The taller watches from the doorframe, leaning against the paneled wood, “You’re turning our loft into Noah’s ark.”

Blaine grins as he stands, walking over to him to put his hand on Sebastian’s waist even though he shakes his head, trying to keep them at an arm’s length.

“That is _not_ a compliment,” He says, only making Blaine pout and he lets out a slow breath because, “Don’t even start that, you’re not gonna win this.”

He wraps his arms around Sebastian’s waist, pressing himself up on his toes to press a kiss to his lips. “These animals need our help, you’re not going to deny me that, are you?”

Sebastian tips his head back with the force of a sigh, glaring at the ceiling for a few moments even though his hands are already working up and down Blaine’s sides, “You keep every single one that you bring home.”

Blaine grins, nuzzling their noses when Sebastian looks back down at him, his hands slipping underneath his shirt to feel the skin of his back. “I think you really enjoy that.”

He licks his lips, “I enjoy _you._ Bat keeps trying to sleep under my shirt when we go to bed.”

“Can’t say that I blame her.” He teases which at least makes Sebastian smirk.

He kisses him again, soothing him with his tongue because he can and pulls back only when they need to breathe. He presses their foreheads together for a long moment before cupping his cheek, running his thumb over his cheekbone.

“I won’t bring any more home,” He promises even though it’s a little painful for him to say so.

Sebastian shakes his head, running his hand through his mop of messy curls, “How bout just don’t keep all of them, alright?”

“Deal!” Blaine says quickly, excitement very evident in his voice, “But we can…keep Snowflake?”

The taller glances over at the cage before rolling his eyes, watching Daisy trot in and bring a toy to set in front of Snowflake like he might actually want it. “He’s the last addition to this family, Anderson.”

Blaine smiles as Sebastian tugs him out of the room, letting him guide him towards the living room to end up on the couch. He bites down on his lower lip so words don’t come out of his mouth—like how he doesn’t believe Sebastian for one moment on their so called ‘last’ family addition but lets him think he’s won for now.

**Author's Note:**

> special shoutout to the two kittens, binx and bat, who i personally brought in to my house a few years ago. both babies succumbed to FELV (feline leukemia) but had a good life here for a while xoxo  
> thanks for the request anon and to those who read, left comments or reviews


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